Washington Post: President Obama recently said he would love to hire a top executive into his administration. But for the job of Treasury secretary, he didn’t pick a corporate executive, a famous economist or a former politician – he has decided to tap a trusted adviser, White House Chief of Staff Jacob Lew, an expert on the nation’s ongoing budget wars.

Obama on Thursday plans to nominate Lew to take over from Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, the president’s longest-serving economic adviser, a White House official said. The selection, to be announced at 1:30 p.m., signals that Obama’s second term will not initially focus on big new ideas to create jobs or expand government investment in the economy. Rather, it will involve a sustained conflict with congressional Republicans over the nation’s finances….

NY Mag: Jack Lew, President Obama’s reported pick to replace outgoing Treasury secretary Tim Geithner, is known as a no-nonsense backroom negotiator with wonkish tendencies, who is admired on the left and grumbled about on the right.

A lesser-known but extremely pertinent fact about Lew is that he has the world’s worst signature. And pretty soon, that signature could be on every single one of your dollar bills.

Charles Blow: This time, nearly a month after the horrible mass shooting in Newtown, the public attention hasn’t ricocheted to the next story. On the contrary, sorrow has hardened into resolve.

This time, something can and must be done. And it looks as if something will….. as we move into this season of change on gun policy, let’s take a moment to better frame the debate.

First, let’s fix some of the terminology: stop calling groups like the National Rifle Association a “gun rights” group. These are anti-regulation, pro-proliferation groups. They prey on public fears … while helping gun makers line their pockets.

(Sturm, Ruger & Company’s stock has gone up more than 500 percent since President Obama was first elected, and Smith & Wesson’s stock is up more than 200 percent.)

…..Groups like the N.R.A. aren’t as much about rights as wrongs. The money being churned is soaked in blood and marked by madness…..

NYT: One of America’s largest pension funds began on Wednesday to divest itself of firearms holdings, a response to the schoolhouse shooting in Newtown, Conn., that other pension funds could follow.

The California State Teachers Retirement System, known as Calstrs, voted unanimously to begin its formal divestment process. The vote occurred at a public meeting where teachers said they did not want their retirement nest eggs placed with companies like the Freedom Group, the maker of the Bushmaster semiautomatic rifle that authorities say Adam Lanza used to kill 20 first graders and six adults at the Sandy Hook elementary school on Dec. 14.

TPM: Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy (D) on Thursday offered a vote of confidence in Vice President Joe Biden’s efforts to institute new national gun laws. Malloy said he had a “great conversation” with Biden on Wednesday, adding that the vice president “understands what we need to do” to curb gun violence.

“I had a great conversation yesterday with Vice President Biden and I know he is preparing his recommendations to the president,” Malloy said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” “I don’t want to get into the details of the discussion but he’s got this down pretty well. He understands what we need to do to make it less likely that these things are going to happen in our cities and towns, and these mass murders could be limited at least going into the future if some common sense things are taken.”

TPM: Advocates on both sides of the gun control debate are prepared to make a lot of noise about the future of gun regulations in the wake of the Newtown, Conn. shooting. That’s the message from the first of House Democratic gun violence pointman Mike Thompson’s violence-focused town halls this week.

On Tuesday night, Thompson hosted the first of three gun violence town halls in his northern California district. As they vowed to do, gun control opponents showed up in force to make their case against new regulations. But, according to local reports of the meeting, they were met with equally impassioned gun control proponents. It’s a preview of what might happen after the White House and Thompson reveal their post-Newtown legislative proposals: opposition to gun control is likely to be met by vocal support for new gun regulations that is just as loud.

John Kerry, left, in 1969 and Chuck Hagel in 1968 during their service in the Vietnam War

NYT: With the selection of a new national security team deeply suspicious of the wisdom of American military interventions around the world, President Obama appears to have ended, at least for the moment, many of the internal administration debates that played out in the Situation Room over the past four years.

He has sided, without quite saying so, with Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s view – argued, for the most part, in the confines of the White House — that caution, covert action and a modest American military footprint around the world fit the geopolitical moment….

Gone for the second term are the powerful personalities, and more hawkish voices, that pressed Mr. Obama to pursue the surge in Afghanistan in 2009… The new team will include two Vietnam veterans, Senator John Kerry and Chuck Hagel, who bear the scars of a war that ended when the president was a teenager…..

MSNBC: Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will not return in President Barack Obama’s second term, the White House confirmed Wednesday.

Solis, formerly a California congresswoman, said she made the decision to step down from her role over the holiday season.

…. In a statement, Obama called Solis “a tireless champion for working families”. “Over the last four years, Secretary Solis has been a critical member of my economic team as we have worked to recover from the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression and strengthen the economy for the middle class,” he said. “Her efforts have helped train workers for the jobs of the future, protect workers’ health and safety and put millions of Americans back to work.”

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150 Responses to “Rise and Shine”

O happy day O’!!! Here we meet again at the depot, ready to board the TOD train on yet another great getting up day! I think it’s about time I de-decorate the outside of my home. If I wait any longer, I can just hang Easter eggs from the boughs of holly.

Well, red is the next season’s color…you could have hearts floating above his head then add touches of pink and blue and stuff his sack with eggs….then a few blue and white ribbons around his neck will usher in July…and rake the leaves around his feet with a pumpkin or two thrown around and THERE YOU GO….ahead for Holidays 2013….sounds like a smart plan to me.

Though a superb idea and very doable, somehow I don’t think my neighbors would be on board with this most satisfying solution to this problem. Every year I say I won’t put so much out, then the Xmas spirit slaps me upside the head and off I go in a boundless tizzy, decorating every inch of every available space in my yard and on the house. Oh well, perhaps more restraint next year.

Please don’t encourage her… LOL – I’ve been driving around and shaking my head at houses still festooned with Christmas decorations… (And also secretly enjoying the spectacle – who wants to lose that festive spirit?)

Others in the conversation were attempting to make larger points and even brought up “What if Mitt Romney….?” but the fact remains that that article was misleading and the reaction to it was way over the top. Pundits once again distorting Pres.Obama’s record and putting him along side sexist pigs in the GOP pissed a lot of people off.

I spend much time thinking about the role of Valerie Jarrett – she has been with the President for most (all) of his political career and I would think she has much input into his policies. There would be few in the white house with more influence, yet she keeps low on the radar – a very smart woman and PBO adviser.

I went on a little Moneygall jag last night – I guess I was feeling nostalgic! – and I found this video of the Opening of Obama Ancestral Home in Moneygall. I wondered if Cousin Henry’s reference was to you?

Meta, that’s fantastic – I never saw that! Henry got in touch with me ages ago asking if he could use the video in the ancestral home and, needless to say, I said I’be be THRILLED! Thanks a million Meta, I don’t know how I missed that!

I had this vague memory of him appearing here in the comments and asking you to get in touch. Then when I saw this video I instantly thought of you. You are now enshrined in PBO’s official ancestral home museum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOTTTYYTOOTOOOTTTT!!

That video was one of my favourite videos, Chips. There’s a restriction now on the video/music, but I think I contributed a few thousand views while I cold still see it. Congratulations on making it into the ancestral home!

Morning everyone! Congrats on first cookemom… and thanks for the great morning round-up, Ms Chips! Already shared some of those articles, getting so excited that there might be real gun control reform at last!

The whole gripe about Lew’s signature is puzzling. This is what the media is concerned about? So much so that Today Show had a segment on it. Geithner had the same problem and he changed his signature so that it would be legible. Same thing will occur with Jack Lew.

It’s just part of the MSM’s entirely unhealthy obsession with every and anything remotely associated with our President. Keep this mind: Whenever the MSM is griping about a seemingly trivial issue, peel back the layers and you will find it always goes back to PBO.

Nothing wrong with that signature – it should stay as it is. Geez, can’t we have individuals in this country? What is with the press anyway? You’d think there was slow news – isn’t there some gun control, women’s reproductive rights or voting act quashing they could cover? They are one big FAIL.

Bibles used by King, Lincoln to be part of Obama’s second inauguration

By Michelle Boorstein,
Jan 10, 2013 05:01 AM EST

The Washington Post Published: January 9
Martin Luther King Jr. carried a black leather King James Bible on his journeys as a young pastor starting out in Montgomery, Ala. He turned to this “traveling Bible” for inspiration, his family says, as he fought for freedom and equality.

President Obama will put his hand over King’s well-worn Bible at his public swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 21, the holiday celebrating the birthday of the slain civil rights leader. King’s Bible will be stacked with the burgundy velvet and gilded Bible used by President Abraham Lincoln at his first inauguration.

Obama chose the Lincoln Bible for his inauguration in 2009, making him the first president to do so since it was initially used in 1861. President Harry S. Truman also used two Bibles, as did Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard M. Nixon.

………………………………………………….

King’s family said in a statement that he would be “deeply moved” to see Obama use the traveling Bible on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, “and we hope it can be a source of strength for the President as he begins his second term.”

Concur UT. Our President always is making history in his own beautiful way. These are the parts of his core that I so appreciate and that I am so grateful to see daily as he makes his decisions during his presidency. We certainly made the right choice when we, the people elected him in 2008 and re-elected him in 2012.HZ

Ezra Klein and his wife Annie Lowrey are full of shit. They’re good at explaining policy but when it comes to the nuances of politics, they are just shitty. Lowrey whining about the lack of women in the Obama administration when this is a lie. First, they whine that there are too many women in the Obama admin and they are controlling Pres. Obama and now this? She and the NYT cherry pick a photograph and claim that represents the entire Obama administration. Ezra this morning says Jack Lew is a perfect pick for Treasury Secretary. He 100% understands budgets, he understands how D.C. works, he’s very loyal to Pres. Obama, he fights for the middle and working class and yet Ezra whines about how Pres. Obama is only picking his inner circle for his economic staff and not looking outside. First Ezra congratulates all the picks Pres. Obama has made for his economic staff and says he would have done the same thing yet he castigates Pres. Obama and begins another faux “Pres. Obama has an economic staff problem.” Pres. Obama is doing everything right if as he is entering his 2nd term the only thing the media has is a manufactured crisis.

As Ezra was going on and on this morning about what President Obama “needs to do”, including “get out of his comfort zone” blah blah blah, mr. dotster said someone needs to put he and Chris Hayes in a soundproof room and let them blab away at each other for hours, days, weeks. (note he said “at” each other not “with” each other because both seem only interested in hearing their own voices)

Good morning, TOD family! And so, in regards to the gun issue IT’S ON!!! I am so in awe of our POTUS and VPOTUS this morning. Not that I’m not every day…lol…but I just got goosebumps watching all the videos, especially good ol’ Joe telling everyone he and PBO are not messing around.

Here is what I believe is the pyramid of danger in all of this mess…and it begins with the weak minded. By that I mean those people who are so influenced by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and other RWNJ attention hogs. You know the people I mean, the ones who follow the crowd because they have no opinion f their own, those folks who post ignorant and incorrect information all over Facebook, Twitter and their own sites. And only a step up from those folks are the more dangerous of the weak minded, the conspiracy theory, survivalist, government is against us, Obama is evil, its my right at all costs nut jobs. Or, in a nutshell…pun intended…the nuts with all the guns. And then you have perhaps the most dangerous of all…the money hungry, gun sales fed Republicans and the NRA. I list them at the top of the danger pyramid because they are the ones, ultimately who will do anything to protect their money and feed their greed, even at the cost of innocent lives.

I’m curious everyone’s thoughts on this…just how much power do these people have? In times past I believe they had a lot, largely because of the money involved, but I also think a lot of the power they believed they had was imagined. Now, obviously the tide is turning, and I am wondering what you all think is the best way for us to keep it turning and support our leaders in this battle.

I left a comment on the last thread about the latest violent film coming out……..Guns, violent movies, violent video games, violent books/magazines, violent music is the responsibility of adults….adult parents, Grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, friends…..At this time, you have the right to make and distribute violent entertainment and weapons of mass destruction but why would you want to…..MONEY…..if there wasn’t a market and desire for it then there would be none….it is adults that are responsible for recognizing mental instability in others that you are close to….who in their right mind would have assault weapons in a house that a person with mental health issues lived in….Yes, I support gun legislation….personally, I think that the only legal weapons should be the ones that the 2nd amendment was designed to protect….not the one’s that gun technology has provided us with today………..having said all I did on the last thread and now this thread……I bought Skylanders and figures for Grandson……I think I might have contributed to violence in his world….What do you all think of Skylanders?………….as far as what we can do….Think before we act…..research…..and write our Congresspeople, write letters to the editors, and DONATE to Brady Campaign or Gabby Giffords pac….put our money where our mouths,fingers are. Don’t buy violent ANYTHING…..

Well said, Kathryn….the violence must stop. We must stop condoning violence in any form. What is Skylanders, a children’s show? I’m not familiar with it but will check it out. We don’t watch a lot of TV here so I’m kind of out of the loop on the latest popular shows.

Skylanders is a video game that you put figures/characters on a “portal of power” and the figure comes to life on the screen…the rage among pre-adolescent boys, apparently, they collect each character which has a chip in it that is a new game $10 to $15 a character……and I bought into it….cartoonish/mystical/monster type characters that fight each other….to be fair, I’m not real sure what it is about….that’s where I said RESEARCH is important….yes, I guess it has violence..not blood dripping, killing humans violence but nonetheless they “fight” each other…….

I googled skylanders and it’s an action adventure futuristic type game in my opinion no different than something like spiderman or superman. I don’t think it is as violent as the more games older kids and adults can buy where they pretend to actually kill people with blood and bodies exploding. These games are sold all over the world and because they have tighter gun control they do not have mass killing problems like they do here in the usa. However, people from other countries will travel to this country to shoot these deadly weapons.

Oh okay I know what Skylanders is now. We see the display every time we go to Target and my kids have to stand there and play with it. I have to agree with Jojo I think the mysetical cartoonish violence, while still violence is a far cry from the blood and guts shoot ’em up games. I’ve seen both and believe me the war games and games like Hitman and the like are very graphic, bloody and violent. I think when subjected to these images over and over again, kids (and adults) become desisitised to it, at the very least. I think as a culture we’ve gotten numb to it as it’s incresed and I think that is a major part of the problem.

There is strength in numbers and that is what we are creating here on this site, on twitter, in the WhiteHouse, good and thoughtful journalists, local and state governments are starting to be put on notice by their citizens. I feel a wave turn on the issue of gun control – there will always be those on the danger pyramid but I believe they are getting less and less influential. However, as they get less influential, they scream louder and louder. We just have to put our fingers in our ears and continue #FORWARD

Dumbest comment of the day: It is early in the day but this will be difficult to beat. ChuckTodd said the WH needed a “Transition Director” so they would have known they were appointing all white males to the new cabinet positions. Who would have known without a special appointment recommended by Chuck Todd?

Lord knows this President could use a stack of Bibles with the crazy media, crazy GOTP, crazy SCOTUS who can’t do the pledge right, and just a host of crazies who hate the fact we have an african american president again when the crazy pundits on FOX told them they would not.

Goldie Taylor’s pushing back too. Hahahaha…..Ezra’s feeling the heat. I understand him wanting to defend his wife but when she writes non-factual BS, she should be called out and he too should be called out for spreading the nonsense as truth.

THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA SHOULD FOCUS ON “FILIBUSTER REFORM” NOT MANUFACTURED NONSENSE

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The media has a responsibility to educate and inform the public about important issues impacting the government. It is clear that the mainstream media has completely abdicated this responsibility. Where is all of the focus on FILIBUSTER ABUSE and OBSTRUCTION? There should be regular segments on cable (and print) educating the American people about the FILIBUSTER and the impact of Republican Party abuse. By not reporting on the facts about the FILIBUSTER (what it is and how it is being abused). the media is just giving the obstructionists cover. Too many Republicans in congress have not paid a price for their obstruction because reporting on the FILIBUSTER has been almost non-existent. Every American should understand what a FILIBUSTER is and how their representatives are voting on important legislation.

LH, think how little research it takes to discuss a non topic like the make-up of the president’s cabinet. You look at one photo and then dream up a whole false story about how the president discriminates against women. Because it requires no effort at all, other lazy media figure they can also take up some air time or write so many column inches with the same little work. What could be sweeter? Now look at the filibuster issue. To write about that, you’d have to do some research, give a little historical perspective, cite some statistics, do an analysis of how much progress has been impeded up by the abuse of the filibuster by Republicans. AND, horror of horrors, you’d have to risk “offending” Republicans who have a nasty bite and also pay your bills. So this is literally a no brainer for the media. They get to do no work and get a lot of attention for it. Because we have very few serious journalists and even fewer who care to work up a sweat doing their jobs, we get a stream of constant trivialities. Even the gossip rag reporters have to work harder because there is some fear of being sued for libel. Political reporters, on the other hand, can fling poo at the president, get called ‘brilliant’ and ‘insightful’ by their colleagues and get no penalty from their bosses. The whole system skates along on laziness and lies because there are no standards in journalism and people in general are no longer trained in the kind of critical thinking that allows them to detect BS. And thus we have American journalism swirling faster and faster down a dirty drain.

JG, I lift my glass to you on this terrific comment. You nailed it. Watching the lazy media stenographers reporting on diversity issues in the Obama administration was sickening last night. I watched a segment on Hardball with Joan Walsh and Eugene Robinson opining about the bad optics of the picture that only shows Valarie Jarrett’s leg. I literally felt dirty watching the segment. I know I could have changed the channel, but I just stared at the tv in amazement that they were actually spending time trying to pretend that this was an issue. It was remarkable. It was like seeing car wreck on the highway. You don’t want to look, but you can’t help yourself. Of course, then Rachel Maddow had to do her segment on the same topic. Television in this country has turned into nothing but 24X7 tabloid trash. It’s a sad state of affairs. But I am loving the fact that Ezra Klein is getting hammered for his concern trolling. And the photo posted by Brad Woodhouse is priceless. More of this please.

I AM SO TIRED OF THESE INDIANA WANNABE ‘RAMBOS’ WHO OWN ASSAULT WEAPONS…I GET INTO AN ARGUMENT ALMOST EVERYDAY WITH ONE OF THESE JUNGLE JIM’S ON FBOOK. AS IF ALEX JONES WASN’T ENUFF FOR THIS CRAZY WORLD TO LOOK AT! I THINK WE OUGHT TO PASS A LAW AGAINST ‘NUTS LOCATED BETWEEN THE EARS!’

THIS IS A BIT OFF THE SUBJECT BUT CERTAINLY EXPOSES A BATTLE MANY OF US ARE FIGHTING WHO NEED MEDICAL TREATMENT….I AM HOPING THAT SOMETHING CAN BE DONE WITH THESE RIDICULOUS AND ‘OUT OF REACH’ PHARMACEUTICAL PRICES…AKA…’A RACKET’ AND ONLY AVAILABLE TO THE WEALTHY. EXAMPLE…IF I WERE ABLE TO TAKE ENBREL…WHICH FINANCIALLY IS OUT OF THE QUESTION…IT WOULD COST $4,000 PER MONTH…FOR 4 SHOTS…ONE PER WEEK TO FIGHT MY DISEASE. WITH MY CURRENT INSURANCE I WOULD STILL HAVE TO PAY $400.00 PER SHOT WHICH EQUALS $1,600 PER MONTH OUT OF A MIDDLE CLASS POCKET. THERE IS NO WAY. NOW THEY ARE TRYING TO CLEAR ME FOR ANOTHER DRUG WHICH CARRIES APPROX. THE SAME PRICETAG…IT’S DOUBTFUL THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THAT EITHER. MY DISEASE IS INCURABLE BUT THESE DRUGS WOULD HELP TO ALLEVIATE MY PAIN LEVEL…1 TO 10…IT RANKS A 12. THEREFORE…I AM STUCK DAILY WITH DANGEROUS NARCOTIC PAIN MEDS. IN ORDER TO FUNCTION! SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE ABOUT THESE PRICES…THEY ARE BEYOND REACH FOR THE AVERAGE FAMILY…THAT’S MY 2 CENTS! GOD BLESS OUR PRESIDENT…AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THE INAUGURATION!

I agree sue. While the media whines about “too many women”/”not enough women” in the Obama administration or just a bunch of nonsense, they won’t talk about what is happening to people every day. It is a shame for these pharmaceutical companys to charge that kind of money for life healing/curing drugs people seriously need. I am hoping that when the ACA goes into affect that we can do something about the price of drugs. My mother does better with the non-generics and these days they are so useless I wonder if they are really the same drug.

I suffer from chronic pain myself. All the pain medication stopped working for me so I googled and found out that I can take ginger and tumeric amongst other natural herbs and I tried that. Knock on wood it’s working fo rme. I also tried gluten free diet but went back to bread and rolls for a week and noticed that the pain came back. So I will go back to gluten free. I just chop up some ginger and boil it out and make tea and drink a cup of that in the mornings. I make a paste of the tumeric and mix the ginger tea in and put it on my shoulder foer a while wrapped in a small towel. Ii also take fish oil omega 3 and I take cod liver oil during the winter and calcium and zinc at nights. And of course a multi vitamin every day. That’s a lot of money to pay out of pocket for medication.

THANKS FOR THE INFO. MISS PAT…I TAKE TUMERIC CAPSULES AND WILL TRY THE GINGER ALSO….I TAKE EUCHINACEA TOO…PLUS VITAMINS,ETC…THE PROBLEM WITH THIS DISEASE IS IT DESTROYS ALL CARTILAGE IN THE RIBS AND SPINE AND THOSE DRUGS WOULD FEND OFF THE DISEASE ACTION…HOWEVER…ALL OF THESE DRUGS ARE WAY TOO HIGH FOR THE AVERAGE SOUL…I HOPE THE ACA CAN DO SOMETHING…BLESS YOU ALL!

I understand why you would need the medication. I lost some muscles to my disease and some of them are weak especially in my left shoulder. I am going to look for the tumeric tablets, thanks. I’ve been using the paste. Maybe you will get some relief with the cost soon. We just have to hang in there and pray that things get better. Blessings.

Hi miss pat, Sue, and JOJO. I do understand what you all are saying. I just had to schedule another appointment with my GP this month about finding another medication that my pharmacy company is no longer carrying. And the drug costs a lot of money. Another one (30 pills) cost me $ 158.70 this month. I cry many days when I think of the many seniors and other who cannot pay this price for meds., and it is shameful.

Miss Pat, my dear brother while visiting me a couple of months ago purchased a natural papaya enzyme from Trader Joe’s for me to take with my meals, and those help a lot. One thing that he also got me to start cooking with especially in my soups and on my vegetables is Turmeric. Get it from a great Indian food speciality store, if you choose to. It really works for my system. I always like to share, but I always tell those that I share with to make sure to consult with their doctors. We can help where we can, I believe.

That is another reason that we help POB and appreciate his choices of his selections of those to work with his Administration. Keep moving FORWARD.

Well if a picture of PBO in a room full of women would have been published, I shudder to think of what would have been said/implied by idiots….and in my humble white woman’s opinion….whoever it takes to get the job done for PBO’s and America’s agenda….If that’s a green Martian…so be it.

Good morning! In case you’re interested. These are all re: health policy. LOL re: lack of diversity. I say lack of dimwits! Read their blurbs & that’s a shitload of talent!

Key Health Policy Personnel

White House:
White House Chief of Staff: Jack Lew, JD [strike this one out soon]
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy: Nancy‐Ann DeParle, JD
Director of the Domestic Policy Council: Cecilia Muñoz
Deputy Assistant to the President for Health Care Policy (as part of the Domestic Policy Council): Jeanne
Lambrew, PhD
Former Special Assistant to the President for Health Care and Economic Policy (as part of the National
Economic Council): vacant [Hello TODers!!!]

OT- On another note, the little girl from the movie, Beasts of the Southern Wild (one of president Obama favorite film in 2012) has just been nominated for a best actress Oscar. Her name is Quvenzhane Wallis, and she is the youngest best actress nominee in history at the young age of 9 years old. Lincoln led all movies with 12 nominations, followed closely by Life of Pi with 11 nominations.